The most beautiful scenery on the NC500

The Most Beautiful Scenery on the NC500: 15 Must-See Views

People drive the NC500 for the scenery. You can drive 500 miles in Scotland and see farmland and estuaries, or you can drive this 500 miles and see mountains that rise straight out of sea lochs, white sand beaches backed by empty moor, pink-grey cliffs stacked with seabirds, and light that changes character every ten minutes.

This guide pulls out fifteen of the most beautiful viewpoints on the loop, in drive order from Inverness clockwise. Some are famous. Some are hidden. We have tried to balance spectacle with accessibility: everything on this list is reachable from the car or with a short walk, with notes where the best photograph requires more effort. Use this alongside our 25 best stops on the NC500 and the best beaches guide.

1. The Black Isle from Chanonry Point

Looking west across the Moray Firth toward the lighthouse at Fortrose. The view itself is gentle rather than spectacular, but the chance of bottlenose dolphins within metres of the shore on a rising tide is what brings people here. Best between May and September. Early morning or evening light.

2. Loch Maree from Slattadale

A freshwater loch between Kinlochewe and Gairloch, framed by Slioch mountain and dotted with wooded islands. Some of the oldest native woodland in Britain on the far shore. Stop at Slattadale forest walk for the classic view. Arguably the most beautiful inland loch in Scotland.

3. The summit of Bealach na Bà

A 2,054-foot mountain pass on a single-track road to Applecross. The view from the summit car park reaches to Skye, Raasay and the Outer Hebrides on a clear day. Three hairpin bends below add to the spectacle. See our full Bealach na Bà guide for driving notes and photography tips. Not suitable for large motorhomes or caravans.

4. Torridon and Beinn Eighe

The road between Shieldaig and Kinlochewe runs under some of the most dramatic mountain faces in the UK. Beinn Eighe, Liathach and Beinn Alligin rise steeply from the glen. Stop at the Countryside Centre or at any of the lay-bys for the view. In early morning light the quartzite caps of Beinn Eighe appear to glow white. In winter it is genuinely alpine.

5. Gruinard Bay

A wide bay with pink-tinged beaches, looking out toward the Summer Isles. The A832 runs right along the edge, so the views open up gradually as you drive. Stop at any of the three beach access points for the best angles. Sunset from the main Gruinard Bay viewpoint is one of the set-piece moments of the west coast.

6. Stac Pollaidh from Drumrunie

A 613-metre mountain with a spiky, improbable ridge rising straight out of Loch Lurgainn. Take the single-track road signed 'Achiltibuie' off the A835 north of Ullapool. The mountain appears as you round the first corner. Drive a little further and you get Stac Pollaidh, Cul Mor and Suilven all in one frame. Arguably the most photographed view in Assynt.

7. The Stoer Peninsula

Take the B869 off the A894 north of Lochinver and follow it round the peninsula. Views to Harris and Lewis on a clear day. The Old Man of Stoer (a sea stack reachable by a short coastal walk from the lighthouse and NOT to be confused with Old Man of Storr in Skye) is one of the most striking features on the whole route. Allow half a day if you want to walk out to the Old Man.

8. Kylesku Bridge

A curved concrete bridge crossing a sea loch, opened in 1984. The viewpoint from the south side, with the Quinag mountain range behind, is a proper postcard view. Park at the hotel and walk down to the shore for the classic angle. Best in the afternoon when the bridge is side-lit.

9. Cape Wrath from Keoldale

The cliffs of the north-west tip of the mainland, seen from the small ferry crossing the Kyle of Durness. The ferry runs from Keoldale in summer and connects with a minibus that takes you the eleven miles out to the lighthouse. The view across the cliffs is one of the most dramatic coastal scenes in Britain. Factor a full morning for the round trip. Check ahead for MoD live firing closures.

10. Sango Sands from the clifftop

On the edge of Durness, a clifftop view down to a white-sand cove. Better than almost any beach view on the route. The campsite above has some of the best pitches in Scotland for clifftop sea views. At night in winter this spot is one of the finest aurora locations in the UK.

11. The Kyle of Tongue

A long sea loch crossed by a causeway, with views back inland toward Ben Loyal and Ben Hope. The causeway is the viewpoint. Stop at the south-west end near the old hostel for the best angle. Early morning mist over the loch is unreasonably beautiful.

12. Strathy Point

A decommissioned lighthouse on a headland east of Bettyhill. Half-mile walk from the car park. Views back west along the north coast and north into the Atlantic. A fine leg-stretcher and often quieter than the better-known headlands.

13. Dunnet Head

The true northernmost point of mainland Britain, five miles north-west of John o' Groats. The lighthouse sits on a 300-foot cliff with views to Orkney across the Pentland Firth. Seabird cliffs from April to July. Dramatic weather year-round. A better bet than John o' Groats itself for the end-of-the-mainland feeling.

14. Duncansby Stacks

Fifteen minutes walk from the Duncansby Head lighthouse car park, the two vast sea stacks of Duncansby sit below 200-foot sheer cliffs. Seabirds thick in early summer. On a still day the silence is remarkable. See our [LINK: full Duncansby Stacks guide → /guides/duncansby-stacks] for the walk directions and safety notes. One of the most dramatic coastal views on the loop.

15. Chanonry Point at sunset

Returning to where you started, but with a different purpose. Chanonry Point in the evening, looking west across the firth as the light drops behind the Ben Wyvis range, is an understated but memorable way to close the trip. Excellent final photograph. Often quieter than in the morning.

Photography tips

·        Best light on the west coast: morning (the coast faces west). The mountains behind you catch the rising sun.

·        Best light on the north coast: afternoon and sunset.

·        Best light on the east coast: morning.

·        Weather creates most of the drama. Do not wait for clear blue skies. The best photographs come from shifting weather.

·        Bring a polariser filter for anything involving water or sea lochs.

·        Allow time. The best shots happen when you have waited twenty minutes for the light to shift.

For the context behind every stop above, see our full NC500 hub guide and the NC500 route map. For when to go, read our best time to drive the NC500 guide.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best scenery on the NC500?

The west coast between Torridon and Assynt holds the highest concentration of dramatic scenery. Bealach na Bà, Torridon, Loch Maree, Stac Pollaidh, Kylesku and the Stoer peninsula are the headline acts. The north coast and the east coast have their own, softer character.

When is the best time of day for NC500 photography?

Early morning and the hour before sunset, as anywhere. In summer, the long Scottish twilight means you effectively get an extended golden hour. See our [LINK: best time to drive guide → /guides/best-time-to-drive-the-nc500] for seasonal notes.

Which viewpoints are accessible without walking?

Bealach na Bà summit, Kylesku Bridge, Loch Maree at Slattadale, Gruinard Bay and Kyle of Tongue causeway are all viewable from your car or within a minute of parking. Duncansby Stacks and Cape Wrath require more commitment.